Catatos (Angolan Fried Caterpillars)
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Aperçu
Catatos are dried caterpillars fried with garlic, onion, peppers and tomato. They are an Angolan dish, eaten with rice or funge and hot sauce, and they are entirely ordinary food there. Edible caterpillars are a serious food source across Central and Southern Africa, not a novelty. The mopane worm, the caterpillar of the emperor moth that feeds on mopane trees, supports a substantial harvesting and trading economy across Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and South Africa, and related species are gathered and dried across Angola and the Congo basin. They are seasonal, they are dried for storage, and they are traded in markets by the sack. The texture, when cooked properly, is soft inside with a crisp exterior, and the comparison people most often reach for is prawns. The dried caterpillars are rehydrated first, which is what the initial soaking is for. Africa has a long and unbroken tradition of eating insects that Europe and North America are only now rediscovering under the heading of alternative protein. It is worth stating plainly that this is established food with established techniques, not an experiment. The source names a specific seasoning cube brand, which has been described generically here.
Note de Patrimoine AFN
Catatos are an Angolan dish of dried edible caterpillars fried with garlic and vegetables. Caterpillars, including the mopane worm, are harvested, dried and traded widely across Central and Southern Africa and form an established part of the regional diet.
Ingrédients
Les mentions alimentaires sont fournies par les contributeurs à titre indicatif. Elles ne sont pas vérifiées par AFN et dépendent des produits que vous achetez. En cas d’allergie grave, vérifiez vous-même chaque ingrédient. Cuisine, allergies et votre propre jugement
Préparation
- 1
Soak the dried caterpillars in cold water and set them aside to rehydrate.
- 2
Peel and chop the onions, peppers, garlic and tomatoes.
- 3
Warm the oil in a wok or frying pan and cook the onions gently over low heat.
- 4
Work in the peppers, garlic and seasoning cube and mix through.
- 5
Drain the caterpillars, discard anything that looks unsound, and pat them dry.
- 6
Turn the caterpillars through the pan and mix well.
- 7
Fry over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until they begin to crisp.
- 8
Tip in the chopped tomatoes and cook for a further 10 minutes. The caterpillars should end up soft inside with a crunchy exterior.
- 9
Finish with a knob of butter just before serving, with rice or funge and hot sauce.
Notes de l’Africook
Notes personnelles de Nympha Nzeribe- Soak them properly. Dried caterpillars are hard as wood and need to rehydrate fully or they will be unpleasantly tough.
- Dry them thoroughly after soaking. Wet caterpillars steam in the pan instead of crisping, which is the whole texture you are after.
- Sort through them after soaking and discard any that look damaged or discoloured.
- Do not rush the frying. The contrast between a crisp outside and a soft interior takes the full ten minutes.
- Funge, the Angolan cassava porridge, is the traditional accompaniment, and it has its own recipe on this site.
- The butter at the end is not decorative, it rounds off the flavour and is worth including.
Questions fréquentes
Are caterpillars really eaten in Africa?
Widely and routinely, across Central and Southern Africa. The mopane worm, the caterpillar of the emperor moth, supports a substantial harvesting and trading economy in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and South Africa, and related species are gathered across Angola and the Congo basin. They are seasonal, dried for storage and sold by the sack in markets. This is established food with established techniques, not a curiosity or a survival measure.
What do they taste like?
The comparison most often made is prawns, and it is a fair one, a mild, slightly savoury flavour with a texture that, cooked properly, is soft inside with a crisp exterior. They take on the flavour of whatever they are cooked with far more than they impose their own, which is why they suit a garlic, onion, pepper and tomato base. Dried and untreated they are chewy and fairly neutral.
Where do I buy dried caterpillars?
African grocers, particularly those serving Angolan, Congolese, Zimbabwean or South African communities, and a number of online suppliers. They are sold dried, by weight, and keep for a long time in that state. Mopane worms are the most widely available variety outside Africa. Look for whole, intact specimens rather than broken fragments, and store them somewhere dry and sealed.
What is catatos served with?
Rice or funge, the Angolan cassava porridge, with hot sauce alongside. Funge is the more traditional pairing and has its own recipe on this site. The dish is substantial enough to be a main course and is eaten as one, with the starch there to carry the tomato and pepper sauce that the caterpillars are cooked in.
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